Wooden Bicycle is not a new concept. Many of us may have seen this before. And also, though they were called wooden bicycle, many of the parts are made of other traditional components like plastic, rubber etc.
SplinterBike is a wooden bike in true sense. Every single part of this bicycle is made of wood – the wheels, frame, gear, or the saddle – it is “all wood” bicycle. No plastic, no rubber.
Let us look at the different types of woods used in this bicyclce. The axles are made of hardwood ekki, birch ply is used for the wheels and frame. In place of metal bearing, oily ironwood has been used. If you look at the pedals and handlebars, you will see that these are made of old broom handle.
The main trick is in the drivetrain. A wooden chain is no way feasible option; then how did they make it? Well, there lies the interesting alternative – the chain is replaced by a huge 128-tooth cog that links the chaining and the gear on the rear wheel. In fact, there are six cogs, as the drivetrain is replicated on both sides of the frame to add strength.
It took 1000 man hours to create this 31 Kg SplinterBike. This wooden bike is claimed to be the fastest in this segment. The makers said it can reach speed up to 31mph. Michael Thompson, the man behind the SplinterBike, says,
Originally we thought ‘wooden bike, bang it down the road, follow it with a car, watch the speedo – that’s it, job done. But it doesn’t work like that. Not if you want to be going into the history books. There are a lot of rules.
Let’s see how fast it can do. Only actual ride can give the true picture.
Via: Gizmodo
